Thirlwall Inquiry will not be livestreamed to public
The inquiry into the murders committed by Lucy Letby will not be livestreamed to the public, despite requests from lawyers representing the families of the victims.
Chair of the inquiry into the events at the Countess of Chester hospital Lady Justice Thirlwall yesterday ruled that the proceedings scheduled to commence on 10 September 2024 at Liverpool Town Hall should not be livestreamed.
“For a parent, who has already suffered so much, to be identified online, is unthinkable”
Lady Justice Thirlwall
She held that livestreaming the inquiry, named the Thirlwall Inquiry, to the world would risk breaching restriction orders that had been put in place by Manchester Crown Court.
These orders state that matters likely to identify certain individuals involved in the case such as babies and parents as well as several nurses and doctors, cannot be published.
Lady Justice Thirlwall said: “I do not accept that this is a risk the inquiry should take.
“Not only is there a significant risk to the inquiry itself, I take account of the human cost of a breach.
“For a parent, who has already suffered so much, to be identified online, is unthinkable.”
Lawyers representing the victims’ families had previously said that the inquiry should be livestreamed to the public, to ensure accountability and transparency and challenge “grossly offensive” conspiracy theories surrounding the events.
At a preliminary hearing for the inquiry held on 16 May 2024, Peter Skelton KC, representing the families of six babies, argued that the public “need to see and hear directly from staff”, including nurses and doctors, to understand “how and why these appalling events have happened”.
Lucy Letby
He said that a delayed public broadcast, where the livestream would be 15 minutes behind the real-life proceedings, should be used.
This 15-minute delay would allow time for the removal of names and other information that could be used to identify a protected individual.
Lady Justice Thirlwall decided against taking this approach because it would interfere with simultaneous reporting by the press.
She said: “A delay even of that length affects the ability of the press to report simultaneously and can disrupt the hearing by diverting attention from the evidence.”
The inquiry will be open to the public and the media, and accredited media will be able to access the proceedings remotely.
Lady Justice Thirlwall said: “The media are the eyes and ears of the public. Through careful observation and fair and accurate reporting those who are unable to attend hearings are informed as to the process, the submissions and the evidence, leading to greater public understanding.”
Letby was given a whole-life sentence last year for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others while she worked as a neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.
